2012: Trumping Trump

    This is my first and last posting about Donald Trump. It will be short. It is important.

    Donald Trump has none of the skills and experiences necessary to be president of the United States. He does understand bankruptcies (three times), use of low quality loans to finance risky real estate transactions, and use of bullying to appeal to the public's baser instincts. He exceeds Barack Obama in self promotion. He has never been elected to anything.

    There are two reasons that his name is in any political discussions.

    1. Trump understands that there is a core of 10 to 20 % of voters who are upset that reasonable questions about Barack Obama's origins have never been answered. Obama's campaign and the media were virulent in defending Obama and making mincemeat of anybody who asked challenging questions about his polygamous Kenyan father, his anti-American mother, his anti-colonialist Indonesian stepfather, or his actual birth location. At some point the historians will consider his birthplace to be fair game, but Obama was successful in putting it off limits for serious political discussion. That said, in a fractured political field it gives the Donald a small opening for his moment in the sun at a time when many in the Republican base are itching for a fight.

    2. More importantly, the liberal media needs something to talk about and what is better than a notorious celebrity adding to the story line that the Republican party is made up of out of the mainstream conspiracy theorists. (In fact , before Trump, most discussion about "birthers" came from liberals who found a microphone to complain that some conservative somewhere didn't get it.) Sarah Palin is so yesterday; the Tea Party hasn't offered the much sought evidence of bigotry and ignorance; the Republican House of Representatives has largely kept its focus on the horrendous Obama deficits. Here's another briar patch to try.  

    Peggy Noonan recently had a great column in which she predicted Republican presidential victory in 2012 if the party could remain serious and avoid the "antics" candidates. Lets prove her right.

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   This week's video is Treasury Secretary Geithner's response to S & P's warning of a potential downgrade of our AAA debt rating. Blah, ba blah, ba blah. 

bill bowen - 11/22/11 

Comments

[RightinSanFrancisco]

Giving credit where credit is due, the Obama team did a superb job - deciding on this course of action; giving bin Laden a Muslim burial to diminish the Muslim reaction; burying him at sea so that there will be no shrine. It seems that it may not have happened absent Bush's oft-criticized policies on interrogation. The relation with Pakistan would certainly seem to be in for a rough spell. And the clamor will be to get out of Afghanistan with "Mission Accomplished", to coin a phrase.

[Bill McCormick]

GOOD BYE TO OSAMA-----

Unlike President Clinton, President Obama pulled the trigger and launched US Forces inside Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden. This was a risky move given the politcs of Pakistan--72 percent or so oppose the US. It is doubtful that Bin Laden was not complicit with some of the military being in a major city, a big house and close to a Pakistan Military school. However, given the role of the Taliban in Pakistan internal battles it may be that by having America do the dirty work of killing the man we have taken the pressure off the Pakistan leaders. So, give the president credit for doing what he said he would do if he got the chance. Something that Hillary and Edwards (remember him?) were reluctant to promise--an operation inside Pakistan. Now, a similar move in Libya follewed by one in Syria just might catch the attention of leaders in Iran and North Korea. but we will debate that in another blog. for now: Good Bye Osama and Congratulations President Obama!

[Harrycat]

Are you really going to make me go through the list one at a time? There might be someone not in the most reported 5 or 6 who might work. My complaints are centered on those most expected to run.

[RightinSanFrancisco]

Harry: Thanks for the confirmation. 15 candidates - liberal/moderate/conservative; East/Midwest/South; Experienced/New; Rich/Poor - and you think that they are all clowns. If there is nobody in any corner of the party that you could support, perhaps you should question your assertion that you have any openness to Republican ideas.

[Harrycat]

Sorry Bill, they are a bunch of clowns. Not one should even be nomin ated. A very weak field.

[Bill McCormick]

THE GOP FOCUS IS RIGHT------

Last night Greta interviewed Romney and Pawlenty. It was the first interview I has seen with Romney in quite a while and while I have never been his biggest fan I was impressed. Pawlenty has always been impressive but last night I thought Romney came across better and more Presidential. the key is that both of these men appeared to have a strategy for focusing on the key issues: jobs, jobs, jobs. They linked the debt, the energy policy and the growth of government to the key issue to use in competing with Obama: jobs. While Trump continues his assault on Obama's policies and smoke and mirrors approach to governing, the real contestants are focusing on jobs and the factors that influence their creation. Perhaps you will be able to vote Republican next year, harrycat.

[Harrycat]

Trump is certainly a self-promoter and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near any public office. To me one of the disturbing parts is the 10 to 20 of the Rep party who are willing to believe almost anything about Obama. Because he is the "other"? And none of the Reps dare say anything out of fear of upsetting the strange folk on the far right. How do we have a successful conversation regarding debt (or anything else) with so many deranged people in the center of the stage. It makes the whole Rep party look like a bunch of kooks.

As a matter of record, Obama's birth certificate was presented on line more than 3 yrs ago. He is more than willing to let the Rep fringe carry on. I suppose one could argue that the birth cert. is a forgery, but how does one argue with someone who will not be satisfied.

I have to disagree with your characterization of our financial problems as being Obama's fault. Bush inherited a substantial surplus from Clinton, gave it away with tax cuts, started two wars (off the books), and enacted Medicare Part D with no attempt to pay for it. I remember something about "deficits don't matter".

When Obama was inaugurated the financial markets were in terrible shape and we seemed headed to a second Great Depression. Economists of both sides agree that the way to fight that situation is to provide government stimulus. Between the money spent on the stimulus and lowered receipts we have a great financial problem, but to blame it on Obama is just ignoring what happened. I am confident that Bush II will be remembered by history as one of our worst presidents ever.

I am an independent and probably would be a Rep if we had someone like Eisenhower. Today the Rep party wouldn't even allow him into the tent.

[Bill McCormick]

Well said, Bill. If Republicans are to win then it is important that no matter how much time they put in on trying to get the deficit down with Obama and Reid having blocking power they MUST focus on energy policy, jobs and the economy to win. The high gas prices combined with the end of stimulus money for infrastructure projects will likely dampen the economic rebound. So, the key is to get a candidate who can focus like a laser on these issues while the House focuses on the deficit argument.